


It's a Feeling

by Caitlin_WithanI



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Established Relationship, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24987490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitlin_WithanI/pseuds/Caitlin_WithanI
Summary: Cho thinks its just sex but doesn't know how to ask for more, Jane listens.
Relationships: Kimball Cho/Patrick Jane
Comments: 3
Kudos: 125





	It's a Feeling

‘So, Cho, what shall we do tonight?’ Jane seemed incredibly chipper despite being kidnapped and tortured with a cattle prod for hours. Cho was his usual stoic self, typing away at his computer whilst completely ignoring Jane. ‘C’mon Cho, I was thinking just you and me, the rest of that bottle of wine we started the other night.’ Jane had moved closer, whispering hotly in Cho’s ear.

Cho didn’t appear to react at all, but Jane saw the slight twitch in his hands. ‘No, Jane. Leave me alone, I have work to finish.’ Cho had been like this a lot when they had first started fooling around like he didn’t want to acknowledge their trysts except during them. He was surprised by how much it hurt to see the man revert back to it.

It knocked Jane off course, all he could do was leave with an absentminded, ‘okay, see you tomorrow then.’ Cho stopped typing, flexing his fingers, and refusing to let himself look at Jane’s retreating back, before continuing. 

It was very late when Cho eventually gave up and decided to head home. All he could think about was Jane’s screams as he was shocked over and over. Once they had Jane out of that basement and into an ambulance all Cho had wanted to do was wrap him up in a big hug and make sure he was okay, reassure himself the man was alive and safe. But he couldn’t do that, he had to sit back and pretend that Jane was nothing more than a colleague and friend. As far as he was aware, he and Jane were just messing around, a moment of relief and fun, but he wanted so much more. Cho wanted a relationship; lazy mornings, sleepy cuddles and people knowing they’re together. He knew it would never happen, though, just looking at how easily Jane gave up on pursuing sex. 

When he got home the last thing Cho was expecting was Jane fast asleep on his couch, a book slipping from his fingers. The image didn’t seem to compute for Cho, he had rebuffed Jane’s advances and the man had left, presumably to his own bed, and yet here he was. The book slipped some and Cho was across the room in a blink to catch it before it hit the floor, placing it on the coffee table. 

Jane mumbled a little before blearily blinking awake. He smiled once he noticed Cho, his hand darted out to grab Cho’s and pull him down to sprawl over him. Cho stiffened, moving to get up but Jane wrapped a hand in Cho’s shirt and wrapping his legs around him like an octopus. 

‘Relax Kimball, more sleep, less talk.’ Jane burrowed his head into the space between Cho’s neck and chest before abruptly falling asleep. Cho tried to summon any willpower to take a stand and get up, but he caved in to the need to be with Jane, tightening his hold before also drifting off to sleep. 

When he woke up, he was alone on the couch but he could hear Jane moving around in the kitchen, singing softly along to the radio. He lay there for a while, just listening to the other man, savouring the domesticity of the whole scene. He tried to stave off the crushing realisation that this wasn’t real, a façade of what they had, but he failed spectacularly. Something had balled up in his chest, bitter and painful emotions welling up. 

‘Cho.’ He was pulled out of his reverie to see Jane was at the door, leaning against it while staring into his soul.

‘I don’t think we should keep doing this.’ It wasn’t what he aimed to say, but he meant them all the same. He could see Jane’s face, mouth downturned in that way that showed he was dissatisfied with what he was looking at. 

Jane was quiet for a while, much to Cho’s surprise. He had half expected the man to just smile, thank him for his company and leave without a second glance, or at least accept that it was over. Instead the psychic just looked at him with an unreadable expression. Eventually, he settled on asking, ‘And what is this, Cho? What are we ending?’ 

Cho knew he wouldn’t fight for this, but it hurt to hear him just accept it. ‘This? We’re just two colleagues fucking, Jane. Maybe we should just go back to being colleagues.’ It was unnerving how Jane just continued staring at him, not showing any indications to his feelings on his face. ‘Just go Jane.’ Cho’s defeated tone seemed to kick start something in the other man, his face suddenly determined and fiery with passion.

‘Is that all this is, Cho? Three years and all you thought it was was us fucking around?’ Cho didn’t move, refusing to give into Jane’s anger. ‘What do you want? Huh? All this time and now you aren’t happy? What do you want Kimball?’ He was doing it for a response, needling till all Cho could do was defend himself.

As usual, Jane was successful. ‘I want you to love me.’ He shot off the couch, hovering near the far end, away from Patrick, anger at the ready. ‘I want to make sure your okay after you’ve been hurt, and have people just know that we’re together. I don’t want to hide and feel like some dirty little secret.’ He deflated, shame coursing through him at his own outburst. ‘I’m sorry. That was inappropriate, I should have ended this when I started struggling with what I wanted. I’m sorry.’ This came out weak, quiet with shame and fear. 

‘Cho?’ he jumped when Jane touched his shoulder, ‘I- I’m sorry you’ve been feeling like this.’ He pulled him into a tight hug, ‘I should have said something sooner.’ 

Cho sighed, ‘S’not your fault, I overstepped and I made you uncomfortable-‘Jane shushed him.

‘How is it you’re so smart and yet we’re always on different pages. Kimball, I thought we had moved on from messing around a few years ago. I just assumed we never spoke because we don’t talk, you always seem to just know what I’m thinking but clearly not.’

‘What are you saying, Jane?’ Jane huffed, smiling at Cho’s abrupt straightforwardness. 

‘I love you Cho, and I would be happy coming out to the gang if you also want to. Now I made breakfast, we should eat, and after we are going to define our relationship, maybe make out a little if you’re feeling better, how does that sound?’ He was smiling as he spoke, a softer version the trademark Jane smile reserved just for the team. 

He pulled himself together, huffing out a ‘Sounds like a romcom,’ before pushing Jane towards the kitchen. 

It was a week later when Jane was schmoozing with a suspect, that the subject came up in a public setting. They had been hunting down a jilted lover, a beautiful woman who was staring Jane down with a gun pointed at him under the table. 

‘Tell me, Mr Jane, have you ever been in love? Really in love, enough that you would kill for them?’ She looked at him as if he were prey, but he was cool as a cucumber, smiling back as if he were drinking with a friend. 

‘I have, twice actually.’ Cho was at the bar with Rigsby, who laughed into his glass.

‘Twice, Jane? I would love to hear that story.’ It was directed at Cho, but he didn’t laugh. His eyes were focused solely on Jane. 

‘And were you faithful to them, Mr Jane?’ She leaned forward, on the edge of her seat on deciding whether to shoot him or not. 

‘I was entirely faithful to my wife, I failed her in other ways but I was always faithful.’ She nodded along, enraptured with Jane’s words. 

‘And the second?’

‘We’ll my partner is over at the bar, so I guess you could always ask him. Her face went slack in surprise, looking over to the bar where Rigsby also looked very surprised. Jane smiled widely at him, beckoning with his hand, ‘Hey Cho, c’mon over.’

He went over, slipping into the booth next to Jane who plastered himself to his side like he normally did when they were at home. ‘It’s been a bumpy road but we have finally figured our relationship out, haven’t we Cho?’ 

She stared him down, waiting for his response. ‘Yes, we’re happy.’ It came out with his usual lack of enthusiasm, but there must have been something in his expression that convinced her it was true. She nodded and smiled, lifting the gun up and placing it on the table, then putting her hands up in surrender. 

Cho cuffed her as the rest of the team appeared around them. She turned to face Cho and Jane, ‘You deserve each other, to be happy together.’

‘Why, thank you.’ Jane beamed with pride, taking Cho’s hand, and squeezing it gently as an officer took her away. Jane spun around to make sure Lisbon, Rigsby and Van Pelt were all present before speaking. ‘Just so you are all aware, Cho and I are in a relationship, one that hopefully you will all be accepting of.’ He was smiling, but there was a hardened edge to it as if daring someone to speak out.

‘Cho?’ Lisbon was looking sceptical, understandably so with anything to do with Jane.

‘Yeah, we are. Problem?’

She stared him down a moment, before acquiescing, ‘Not at all, we’re happy for you both. You’re on your own with Hightower though.’ She smiled at them both before setting off for the car. 

Van Pelt was beaming with happiness, she darted forward engulfing them both in a hug and congratulating them both before joining Lisbon. 

Rigsby looked lost, like a sad puppy, ‘You never told me, man, y’know that you were into guys.’ Cho shrugged non-committally.

‘Never came up until now.’ Rigsby thought it over, before nodding and also hugging them both. 

‘You know I’m gonna ask you so many questions now, right?’ Jane laughed, mostly at Cho’s uncomfortable expression.

He patted Rigsby on the shoulder, ‘Oh he knows, now let’s get back to the office.’ He gestured Rigsby ahead, waiting with Cho for a moment until they were essentially alone. Cho took his hand, squeezing ‘thank you.’ Jane smiled at him, throwing an arm around him as they walked to the car.


End file.
